Journey's Beginning
by GoingPostale
Summary: Things change and even the people who forget, remember. Post Journey's End with spoilers!
1. Journeys Beginning

The Doctor. A man, nay, a Time Lord, doomed to travel the universe alone. True, he would have those fleeting moments with personable companions, but how long could they stay before the illusion was ruined? He had lost so many over the years. Although he would occasionally meet them again, it would never be the same. They could never come back to him. But the Doctor dealt with the pain of losing his family time and time again. He had to be strong. He had to heal the wounds; he was the Doctor.

He had promised himself to stay away from Earth. With his saddened eyes, he knew that he could never return to see the beloved Donna Noble, whose humanity had saved the universe. She was the most important thing to have happened to him and the most important person to have happened to the universe. Without Donna Noble, temp, human, and Time Lady, he would have died. And the universe would have become nothing more than a Dalek's plaything.

So why did the tenth reincarnation of the last of the Gallifreyans return to Earth? If he were to do anything to remind Donna of the time she had spent with him, she would burn up. She would die. Everything would have been for naught and she could not live a happy, albeit without herself, life. When the mind of a Time Lord threatened to burn her body and mind to oblivion, the Doctor did what he thought best. He erased all traces of himself, their adventures, but worst of all, he erased Donna Noble, the most important person in the whole, wide universe.

The TARDIS landed on Earth. Earth, a few months after he had left Donna to her unhappy life without him. Not that she knew she was unhappy. The Doctor ruffled his hair and looked up, as if wondering what had possessed the TARDIS to take him somewhere he could not be. No matter, he owed Wilf a visit and would damn well say hello. It was midday, Donna would be working. He would not be risking her life. And if he did, he would find a way to fix it. The Doctor does not give up.

Leaving the blue police box locked in an alleyway a few blocks from the Noble residence, the Doctor ventured into London. He seemed to be like all the other businessmen, on a lunch break and heading toward a quick meal before returning to the office. But he was no normal bloke. The Doctor found the hill that Wilf would always watch the skies from, searching for the little blue box that Donna had always loved.

Peeking around the corner for her little blue car, he did not see it and found a reason to jovially skip toward the house. He whistled a tune, grinning, as he remembered the time they had spent at Agatha Christie's dinner party. Donna had been so full of life and had saved him from cyanide poisoning. Oh what a shock that was.

The Doctor soon found himself at the doorstep and his hand paused. Could he knock on the door and risk Donna answering? Nope. The Doctor whipped out his trusted, handy sonic screwdriver and looked up and down the street before unlocking the front door of the Noble residence.

Wilf sat in the living room, watching the news on the telly. Nothing had much happened in the skies and he wondered day and night about both the Doctor and his precious Donna. The loving grandfather hadn't seen her for a week and to hell if he or Sylvia could locate her. She wasn't answering their calls and would only send a daily postcard to reassure them that she was alright, just taking a holiday from her job as a temp.

But then he stood up, tense, as the door opened. "My Donna!" Wilf shouted, running to the door and, before he realized there was no shock of red hair, grasped the lean Doctor in his arms. Quickly, he let go. "You're not my Donna. What did you do to Donna?" Wilf was protective, as he knew what could have happened to her.

"Oh Wilf. I simply came to bid you a hullo since the TARDIS brought me here." He nodded, blinking quickly three times. "But you say Donna's gone?"

Wilf nodded. "'Bout a week ago she left. Sylvia and I have gotten daily postcards that she's on holiday, but that still worries me. Thought you might have something to do with it, as I haven't seen that little blue box of yours lately."

This puzzled the Doctor. Donna was a responsible young woman and wouldn't just up and leave her job. "Arrivedecci, my dear Wilf. I'm on a quest!" To find Donna, he finished in his mind. His most valued companion and the woman responsible for saving his life. But Wilf could not know that he was looking for her now, even if it was against his better judgement. If he could just see that she was alright. . .

Wilf bid goodbye and locked the door behind the Doctor, returning to the telly. He figured that if he watched the news for strange happenings, he might be able to spot Donna.

The Doctor didn't know where to start. Donna could be anywhere on Earth and he had no way of locating her, so he headed back to the TARDIS. Perhaps that could help. The Doctor had shut his brilliant eyes as he walked to the TARDIS, to think of where Donna would go. She was herself, but before she'd met him, and nothing was the same.

"Oi. Alien boy."

That voice. The Doctor opened his eyes to see the familiar vibrancy of Donna's red hair and pompous smirk. She was leaning against his TARDIS. 


	2. Does It Hurt?

Oooh. You slimy gits. No, I don't own Doctor Who. If I did, it would bloody well be turning out like this, no thanks to Russell T Davies, thank-you-very-much!

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"Oi. Alien boy."

The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. There stood Donna Noble, leaning against the TARDIS. She was back, as brilliant as ever, while she smirked at him, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

"You gonna just stand there or do I get a proper hullo?" She barked, chuckling at the sight of her Doctor. He was shell shocked, just as he was when Rose returned to him a few months prior. While the two of the were busy saving the universe from the wrath of the Daleks. The Earth was stolen, they saved the day, and she went back to her own parallel universe, with her own little Doctor. Although, that Doctor was part Donna.

His expression changed to one of pure ecstasy as he ran toward the redhead. She grinned and dropped her arms, meeting him in the middle of the alleyway. They wrapped their arms around each other, grinning wide smiles that relayed how glad they were to once again see each other. They spun in circles as Donna lifted the skinny little git. He laughed, proud of the girl.

But then he pushed her away. "You're back. How've you been? What've you been up to? How'd you get your memories back? It shouldn't be possible. I can't gras--" but she cut him off.

Donna slapped him. "I never once said it was alright for you to wipe my mind, Doctor! You bloody little alien git! I almost had it in my mind to take the TARDIS out for a spin while you wandered my city. Honestly, Doctor. What if I hadn't been okay? What if you'd come back and nothing had changed and you caused my death now? What the Dickens makes you okay with that?" She raised her eyebrows, her mouth twitching as she tried not to smirk.

"Exspectata tergum," the Doctor stated. "And I'm sorry." His face dropped. He was glad she was back, but it was a reprimand that she was allowed to make. "I could only hope that you would rediscover yourself. I never wanted to leave you behind, but I couldn't risk being the cause of your death." His mind was clouded and the Doctor was serious again.

"Aw, Doc!" Donna scoffed."Ut sulum suus own. To each his own! In Latin of course." She shrugged. "You seemed to like the language as you just spoke to me in it, so I figured I'd do you a favour and return the favour." Considering he had wiped her memory and left her to her soulless, shallow self, Donna was handling things well.

"Shall we?" She asked, turning from him to walk back to the Tardis. On a chain around her neck, she had worn the TARDIS key and finally had another opportunity to make use of it. When she didn't remember, she had no clue where the key led, only that it was important. When she queried her mum and granddad, they had attempted to take it from her. Donna had realized then that it was important and she ought to keep it safe. What's safer than on her person at all times?

The Doctor followed, peering at Donna to see if she had changed. Either back to herself before him or truly back to herself after him. He hit his own forehead. "Of course I should've taken back the key!"

As she fumbled with the lock, Donna let out, "What was that? Are you trying to figure out how I'm me again? Cause you should already know that I'm not going to tell you, Spaceboy." She grinned. It was always fun to lord things over the Doctor and now she had the best thing.

He stared after her as he grew closer. "Donna? The Doctor and Donna. Sounds fitting, don't you think?"

"The Doctor and Donna? Pfft." Donna laughed as she opened the door to the TARDIS. "More like the Doctor Donna, if you ask me! The Doctors Donna. Doctor Donna and her little Doctor. Spaceboy and Earthgirl. As different as we are, we've both got a little bit of the same thing inside us." She was referring to the Time Lord conciousness as she hung her tan trench inside the TARDIS. She was, after all, part Doctor. And what Doctor traveled without a trench coat?

The Doctor didn't understand. He also hung his coat, revealing his beloved pinstriped suit. He ruffled his hair, following her to the controls. "Doctor Donna, where to next? And when will you tell me how you've become yourself again?"

"Hm," Donna thought, disregarding the last bit. "Well, you've already shown me the Nestene Conciousness and I do remember dabbling in Pompeii, but a trip to Gallifrey just doesn't seem right at the moment." She glanced at him. "Not quite certain how much they'd appreciate a half-Human Time Lord. Or Time Lady? Which one is it anyways, Doctor?" They were like five year olds with attention deficet disorder.

"Donna Noble. How did you recover yourself?" The Doctor again asked, curious. It was something he had been unable to figure out and since she had and she was part of him, he needed to know.

"Doctor. Does it hurt?" Donna queried, grinning as she pulled a lever on the TARDIS.

He was dumbfounded. "Does what hurt?"

"Just the little fact that I know something you don't know." She hit a switch and the TARDIS began to spin, dissipating from Earth to fly through the afternoon sky, headed for an unknown destination. At least, unknown to the Doctor.

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**A/N;;** I had to log in and it posed a question to me. "Are you human?" If they had a yes or no answer, I would choose no. I'm a Time Lord. _Always and forever.  
_Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am, even if it is a bit OOC. This is my first attempt at writing for Doctor Who and I'm feeling out the ridiculously amazing characters. Thanks for reading! (And if you've got any tips or pointers, don't hesitate to tell me. I love critiques, both good and bad!)


	3. Partners in Crime

Disclaimer;; The Beeb brings me such beautiful shows as Torchwood, Doctor Who, Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, and so much more. Why ever would I claim them as my own? And I think there would be a few writers (plus RTD) that might skin me.

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The TARDIS spun in the cosmos, rotating and whirring all the way. It was headed for. . .somewhere. Donna Noble had set the controls to take the partners in crime on a voyage, but they were not damned any longer. She knew how to control the travelling machine and she would very well shock the Doctor with the destination. That was not about to please him.

"Oi, Doc," Donna let out, smirking her clever smile. "How've things been the last coupla months? Lonely, I presume. It musta been bloody hell to keep away from my beauty and I." She had an air of "I'm greater than thou" to that last sentence. Not that he didn't deserve it. Donna had saved the universe while he, or a form of himself, had committed genocide. Yep, they were partners in crime alright.

The Doctor had been leaning against the control panel, sitting upon the metal floor. "Hm? What? Oh. Yes. Lonely. Very. Right then." He couldn't help but focus on Donna's memory. The last time he had seen her, she couldn't even give him a decent goodbye. She'd shoved him off to gossip with her friends and about her disbelief in the stolen Earth.

"You heard from the Captain lately?" Donna asked, her voice cheery as she pulled a level, causing the TARDIS to shake. When the story came to that slab of beautiful meat, Donna was wholly interested. "I know he's busy wif Torchwood, but he could take the time to say hullo to an old friend, you know?" The Doctor Donna was blathering again, but it was welcomed. Her loud disposition and stubborn mind were a friend upon the lonely TARDIS and although the Doctor drowned out her words, he knew that he was glad they were back.

"Forsooth, Spaceman! Listen to me!" Donna let out rambunctiously as she playfully threw a seemingly familiar rectangular blue journal at him. It was not the one he remembered, but it was similar enough.

The Doctor didn't catch it. His reflexes were resting since he had another Companion. The journal hit him square in the face. "Gee, Donna!" He let out after yelping. "Where'd this come from? It's just like that one that River had, but it couldn't be. We let the Vashta Nereda devour that. Spoilers indeed." It was now the Doctor's turn to blather, but he was genuinely thrown. The Doctor could figure anything out...but he was having trouble with this one.

"That was just to get your attention," Donna remarked, peering at her prim fingernails. "Really no other reason. Nothin' to it, Doc. It's just a pretty little blue journal. . .detailed about this here pretty little blue box." Who didn't want to tease the Doctor? As he began to open the journal, she tsk'd him. "Now now, Spaceboy, you don't want those spoilers, right?"

The Doctor laughed and jokingly tossed the journal back at Donna. She carried it to a platform and set it down. It wasn't something she'd really needed. The journal was more to document their adventures for her grandfather. It was a heartfelt love of her family that made Donna Noble wish to keep them informed.

"Bloody hell." Her face dropped. "I forgot to tell Mum and Granddad." She began to frantically slip her hands into her jean pockets then ran over to her trench when they revealed nothing. "Where'd I put my bloody mobile?" It seemed the only word in her vocabulary today was bloody. She excused herself though. It was alright by her to have a shrunken vocabulary as long as she had a travelling TARDIS.

"Ah, there it is," Donna sighed in relief as she pulled out a small cellular phone. "Doc. I had to get a new phone. Could you?" She held it out to him, raising her eyebrows.

"Mmph!" The Doctor was defiant and stubborn, but he did want Wilf and Sylvia to know that Donna was safe. "I'll do this for you," and he took the phone from her, "if you tell me just how you're back to yourself!" Two could play the game of teasing.

"Fine fine!" Donna laughed. "I'll tell you. Just get my mobile so I can call Mum and Granddad. You can only send postcards for so long, y'know Spaceman." The Doctor pulled out his handy Sonic Screwdriver and fixed Donna's mobile. She now had service anywhere in the universe.

Her fast temp fingers dialed the number for home. "Granddad?" She asked when the dial went through.

"Donna! Oh, my Donna! Are you alright? Where are you? I'll come pick you up. Your mum will be so pleased!"

"Granddad. Granddad." Donna repeated that phrase until he stopped talking. "I'm with the Doctor. I'm fine, no, I'm better than fine. I'm bloody fantastic! I'm with the Doctor!" She was grinning from ear to ear and her voice has pitched with excitement.

Wilf didn't respond. She should have burnt up by now. From what the Doctor had told him, the Time Lord Conciousness would burn her up. She couldn't remember her. Nothing could be the same. How was she alive?

"Granddad?" Donna chuckled heartily. She was alright at deductive reasoning. "Don't you worry about me. I didn't burn up, I'm not gonna burn up, and I'll be watching out for the Doctor. Tell Mum I love her and I'm safe, alright? Love you, Granddad. Bye now." Wilf had managed to croak an "I love you" into the phone before Donna clicked off her mobile.

"Right then. Now that they know I'm safe, it's your turn." Donna handed her mobile to the Doctor, intent on having him place a call into Torchwood and her most beloved captain. Unfortunately, the TARDIS chose to make its rocky landing at that very moment.

"Ah yes. I do believe we're here. You can place that call later, Doctor. After all, I've got signal anywhere in the universe." Donna whistled and winked at the Doctor. They had had the best of times, but there were still even better times ahead.

"Donna," the Doctor began cautiously. "Where exactly are we?"

"Thought you'd figured that one out by now, Spaceman. Where do you think we are?"

"You didn't. . ." He blinked.

"Oh yes I did." She grinned.

"We couldn't be in--"

They said it together, "Pompeii."

A/N;; Hullo again, friends! My updates will be sporadic as I have no idea what's happening next until I start typing! This chapter is Donna-heavy, Doctor-light and I'm sorry. I just don't feel very confident writing the Doctor. I mix Nine and Ten's personalities. I like funny!serious!Doctor. It doesn't work very well. I wanted them to travel somewhere important to them and what better than Mt. Vesuvius? If you've got anything, critique, comments, ideas, etc., don't hesitate to share! I love hearing from you and I do incorporate critique into my fics!  
Cait!


	4. The Laws of Time

It was Pompeii, but not as they'd left it. Standing in the midst of the wreckage, the Doctor could feel his two hearts heaving great sighs of regret. _Anything I do just makes it happen._ His hearts were breaking as his dark, weathered eyes moved across the wasteland. Just as he could feel his throat constricting, the dilemmas of a lonely god, the Doctor felt a warm sensation upon his shoulder. He looked to his right and saw that Donna Noble had lain her hand across him.

"I understand, Doctor. You can't save everyone." Her eyes revealed that she knew more than he gave her credit. It seemed that, though the two had been apart for so long, there was nothing that stopped her intuition. And with those three small words that the Doctor had said all too often, Donna provided him a respite. "_I'm so sorry._" She need say nothing more. He was the Doctor and he had all of Time in his hands. He couldn't fix the whole universe, but that didn't stop him from trying.

She blinked through bright eyes and took his hand. "Come, Doctor, take a walk with me." It was as though her other half had returned. With the Doctor, she had a purpose - she saved the whole of creation. Time and Time again, she would prove herself to him. He couldn't leave her behind. He just couldn't. The Doctor needed someone there, someone to stop him. In his absence, she'd learned about the Valeyard and it frightened her. They couldn't be one and the same. They just couldn't. "Let's have us a talk." Donna Noble was serious as she maneuvered through the ash-ridden wasteland that had previously been a staple in Italian civilisation.

As she led him through the wreckage, he could feel Time stand still for them. Without anyone to save but themselves, there was nothing to do but accept that Donna Noble was back. She was back and she could contain him. The Doctor knew he couldn't always win, but be damned if he didn't try! However, with Donna around, he never viewed himself as the Timelord Victorious. The Doctor shook his head slowly. He had made so many mistakes.

"Donna. . ." The Doctor let her hand fall, sliding his own into his coat's pockets. "Oh, Donna Noble," his voice was calm, as if he'd always known that they would be reunited though he could not fathom just how. "You truly are the most important person in the universe." _You could have stopped me._ Would he have failed to save Donna in the same circumstance? She was human, she had feelings and emotions, never limited to the laws of Time. Humans didn't follow the rigorous laws set forth by the Gallifreyans and by that, never had the universe in their minds. But here was this flaw in the system. Donna Noble was both human and Timelord. She should have burned up, but she didn't. She was alive.

He shook his hand, sitting upon what appeared to have been a table. He knew he had gone too far. Even going back to make certain Donna was alright was too far. While he knew that she would never give up searching for him, the Doctor suddenly regretted having gone back to find her. He was lonely, that much was true, and desolate after losing Adelaide. It was his downward spiral which sent him back to Chiswick.

She sat beside him. Though itching to ask what he'd done since leaving her behind, Donna knew it would come in time. The Doctor needed his time just as much as, if not more than, everyone else. The TARDIS, all of Time, and an empty universe is all he's had to look to. It was impossible for any human to imagine. But she wasn't just any human. She was Donna Noble and she could feel the screams echoing through his mind. She could hear the pain masked by his everyday words. Most of all, she saw the End of Time and her heart broke.

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Disclaimer: DW doesn't belong to me, no matter how much I wish it does.

A/N: This was written just after _Waters of Mars_. I let it ruminate for a few months (as you can probably tell). My computer crashed a few months ago and I just recovered this. And I didn't edit anything from the initial write.


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